Project by My Thrifty Life by Cassie Fairy, Photography by Andy Greenacre
If you want to encourage your children to get creative, this quick and easy plant pot painting project is ideal for your youngsters. The activity can be enjoyed by kids of all ages from pre-schoolers (with supervision) to teens and even adults, so it’s a fun project for all the family.
You don’t need to be a skilled artist to create a work of art on a terracotta pot; abstract brushstrokes and sponged-on spots look perfectly arty, while floral designs are the ideal background for some pretty planting.
This project can be completed outdoors, so it’s a great way to get kids outside in the fresh air and enjoy some time in the garden. It’s a fun screen-free activity that’ll keep little ones entertained during the school holidays or at the weekends. Plus, they could decorate pots for special occasions and plant them up as thoughtful gifts for members of the family.
If you would like to have a go at painting your own terracotta pots for the garden simply follow our step-by-step guide below.
You will need:
- Old or new terracotta pots
- Scrubbing brush
- Cuprinol Garden Shades paint – colourful tester pots work well
- Paint brushes and sponges
- Old sheet, newspaper or cardboard to protect surfaces
- Protective painting aprons
- Compost and plug plants or seeds
Step 1
If you’ve sourced some old terracotta pots or already have some in your garden, start by giving them a good scrub to clean the surfaces you wish to paint. If you’ve bought some new pots, remove any sticky labels. Allow them to dry thoroughly before starting to paint.
Step 2
Lay out an old sheet, newspaper or cardboard to protect your garden table before starting work – this will be essential later when the kids get involved!
It’s a good idea to pre-prepare the surface of the pots ready for painting, so give them a base coat of garden paint in white or a pale pastel colour. You may need more than one coat of paint to create a solid background colour, so allow to each layer to dry thoroughly between coats.
Step 3
Now comes the fun part – getting creative with the kids! Cover up children’s clothes with protective aprons before beginning to paint. Provide little ones with a variety of brushes and sponges and let them create their own works of art using garden paint.
We used Cuprinol Garden Shades paint, which is suitable for lots of outdoor surfaces including terracotta, wood, brick, stone, fencing and garden furniture. We had some garden paint leftover from previous garden projects, plus we used a few extra tester pots of bright colours from the wide range available in the Garden Shades collection including Sweet Sundae, Dazzling Yellow, Purple Pansy and Forget-Me-Not.
The paint is water-based so can be easily washed off the brushes and sponges after use. It’s a great idea to choose garden paint that comes in a metal can because the packaging is fully recyclable once the paint has been used up, providing an environmentally-friendly option for crafting with your family.
Step 4
Allow the painted designs to dry thoroughly before taking the pots into the garden and planting them up. Youngsters can help to fill their pot with compost and gently push a seasonal plug plant into it. Add a few different flowers in bright colours to make a pretty display.
Alternatively, children can sow seeds onto the surface of the compost and enjoy looking after the seedlings and watching them grow into plants. Choose fast-growing seeds like basil, rocket and cress for impressive results.
All the family can help to arrange the painted pots to bring an instant splash of colour to the patio or decking. Now, all that’s left to do is to encourage children to tend to their plants throughout the growing season with regular watering and deadheading while you all enjoy the beautiful flowers blooming in their pretty painted pots!
Please take care while using tools, materials and equipment and all projects must be completed at your own risk. We do not take responsibility for any harm or injury that may occur. Be safe!
